US20170372564A1 - Enhanced Wireless Communications and Power Systems for a Venue - Google Patents
Enhanced Wireless Communications and Power Systems for a Venue Download PDFInfo
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- US20170372564A1 US20170372564A1 US15/633,022 US201715633022A US2017372564A1 US 20170372564 A1 US20170372564 A1 US 20170372564A1 US 201715633022 A US201715633022 A US 201715633022A US 2017372564 A1 US2017372564 A1 US 2017372564A1
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G08—SIGNALLING
- G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- G08B5/00—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied
- G08B5/22—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
- G08B5/222—Personal calling arrangements or devices, i.e. paging systems
- G08B5/223—Personal calling arrangements or devices, i.e. paging systems using wireless transmission
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
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- G06Q10/06—Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
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- G—PHYSICS
- G08—SIGNALLING
- G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
- G08B21/18—Status alarms
- G08B21/24—Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
- H04L67/01—Protocols
- H04L67/04—Protocols specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
- H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
- H04W4/02—Services making use of location information
- H04W4/021—Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
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- H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
- H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
- H04W4/30—Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
- H04W4/38—Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes for collecting sensor information
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to enhancing communications and power systems in a venue. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to enhanced wireless communications and power systems for a venue.
- coaches in an athletic event, it is desirable for coaches to have open lines of communication with players throughout an athletic event. In some sports, it is very difficult for coaches to quickly communicate with players. For example, in an American football game, coaches must remain on the sideline of a football field while communicating a play to the quarterback. In football games where many fans are in attendance, the stadium can be extremely loud which makes it difficult for the coach to verbally communicate a play to a quarterback. Moreover, a football coach must remain on the sideline which can be too far to verbally communicate a play to a quarterback. Still further, there is typically only forty seconds between plays, which makes it undesirable for a quarterback to travel to the sideline to verbally receive the next play. Communicating plays to a quarterback with hand signals can also be undesirable as the other team can intercept such signals and anticipate the next play.
- communication and power systems for the fans themselves are inadequate at sporting venues.
- fans attend a sporting event at a stadium, their cell phones have poor cellular reception, restricting use of their mobile devices to access the internet. This is caused by the major infrastructure challenges in a stadium.
- stadiums are constructed of mostly concrete and steel, and the people sitting in the stadium are made up mostly of fluids which all inhibit proper cellular transmission.
- fans want to use the network at the same time, such as during kickoff, halftime, or after a significant scoring play. These issues restrict fans from interacting with social media applications, checking fantasy scores, watching videos, browsing the web, etc.
- Stadium management and owners want fans to engage in such activities as it enhances and promotes the sporting event.
- the cellular service at sporting stadiums precludes the ability to upload a four to five megabyte selfie image.
- limited cellular reception prevents stadium management from taking advantage of commercial opportunities by sending promotional material to fans.
- attendees at sporting events often need to recharge their cellular devices, and there are often insufficient power systems at venues for this purpose.
- the system includes a first communication device that receives audio from a user (such as a coach on a sideline), generates a wireless signal, and transmits the wireless signal to a second communication device via an antenna system (e.g., an antenna system mounted on an overhead camera) that relays the signal.
- the second communication device (which could be worn by a player during a sporting event) receives the wireless signal and plays the audio.
- the wireless signal is broadcast to a plurality of communications devices worn by players.
- a power and communication system for use at a seat at the venue, which provides power for a user's mobile device as well as wired and wireless network (e.g., Internet) connectivity at the seat.
- FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment of the enhanced wireless communications system of the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the enhanced wireless communications system the present disclosure
- FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a power and communications system for a venue seat
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the power and communications system of the present disclosure
- FIG. 5 is a top-down view of a venue illustrating installation of the power and communications system of FIGS. 3-4 ;
- FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a communication link between the power and communications system of FIGS. 3-5 and a plurality of mobile devices held by people in the venue;
- FIG. 7 is a diagram of a communication link to provide enhanced wireless/cellular coverage.
- the present disclosure relates to enhanced wireless communications and power systems for use in a venue, as discussed in detail below in connection with FIGS. 1-7 .
- the present disclosure is generally applicable to any venue or event.
- the present disclosure by way of example discusses American football, but the present disclosure is not limited to this application and can include any sporting event (soccer, basketball, hockey, wrestling, lacrosse, track and field, racing, archery, darts, video gaming, curling, etc.), concerts, theatre, Broadway plays, musicals, operas, lecture halls, conference rooms, hotels, etc.
- FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a communication system 2 of the present disclosure, which allows for enhanced wireless communications between coaches and players of a sporting event (e.g., American football).
- the system 2 can include a first communication device 6 (worn, for example, by a coach 4 on a sideline of a sporting event) for receiving spoken/verbal commands (audio) from coaches or other players at a sporting event, generating a wireless signal including the audio, and transmitting the wireless signal.
- the system 2 can also include an overhead cable-controlled camera 8 having an antenna extender 10 for relaying wireless signals.
- the camera 8 can be a computer-controlled, cable-suspended camera system which can operate by having four motorized winches positioned at the corners of a venue.
- Each of the winches can control a cable connected to the camera 8 .
- a computer system can wind and unwind the cables to allow the camera 8 to reach any position in a three-dimensional space within the venue or field of play.
- the system 2 can further include a helmet 12 which can be worn by any player on the field.
- the helmet 12 can include a frequency extender 14 .
- the system 2 includes a second communication device 18 worn by a player, for receiving the wireless signal from the headset transmitter 6 and playing the audio (spoken commands, instructions, etc.) from the coach 4 to the player 16 .
- the device 18 can be a headset, earpiece or a similar device for receiving a wireless/radio audio signal.
- the receiving player 16 can be a quarterback responsible for communicating a play for the offensive team.
- the device 18 can be installed in a helmet that the player 16 is wearing.
- the device 18 can be installed in any suitable equipment that the player 16 may be wearing.
- the second communication device 18 could also receive audio (spoken voice) from the player 16 , and wirelessly transmit same to the coach 4 (via the antenna 10 ) so that the player 16 can communicate with the coach 4 , thereby providing bidirectional communications between the player and the coach.
- the system 2 can allow the coach 4 to reliably and clearly communicate with the player 16 .
- a wireless communication signal can be generated and sent to the player 16 via the device 18 .
- the wireless communication signal can be extended by the antenna extender 10 placed on the camera 8 . It is noted that the antenna extender 10 is optional, and communications could take place directly between the first communications device 6 and the second communications device 16 . As the camera 8 traverses the playing field to capture sporting event moments, the antenna extender 10 can be in a suitable position to extend the wireless communication signal from the coach 4 to the player 16 . Furthermore, the wireless communication signal can be further extended by the extended 14 installed in the helmet 12 .
- the helmet 12 can be worn by any player on the field for extended the wireless transmission signal to the receiving player 16 .
- the helmet 12 can be any other suitable piece of equipment for housing or having the extender 14 .
- the system 2 can optionally dispense with the helmet 12 and extender 14 and rely solely on the camera 8 and antenna extender 10 for communication between the coach 4 and the player 16 .
- the system 2 can optionally dispense with the camera 8 and antenna extended 10 and rely solely on the helmet 12 and extender 14 for communication between the coach 4 and the player 16 .
- the system 2 can rely on a plurality of helmets 12 for communication between the coach 4 and the player 16 .
- a wide receiver could have the helmet 12 and the extender 14 , which would be extended to a tight end having the helmet 12 and the extender 14 , which can then be extended to an offensive lineman having the helmet 12 and the extender 14 .
- Any combination of players with the helmet 12 and the extender 14 can be used in the system 2 .
- FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a communication system between coaches and players of the present disclosure.
- the coach 4 can speak commands in the first communications device 6 which can be broadcast as a wireless communication signal to be received by a plurality of helmets 12 and thus a plurality of players.
- the wireless communication signal can be extended by the camera 8 and the antenna extender 10 to the plurality of helmets 12 and players.
- the wireless communication signal can be extended by the camera 8 and the antenna extender 10 to at least one of the plurality of helmets 12 and then the at least one of the plurality of helmets 12 can extend the signal to another one of the plurality of helmets 12 .
- This extension can occur multiple times to reach any number of helmets 12 .
- FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a power and wireless communications device installed at a seat in a venue.
- the venue can have a plurality of seats 20 for allowing fans to sit and watch a game or performance.
- the plurality of seats 20 can include a back portion 22 and a bottom portion 24 .
- the back portion 22 allows a person or fan to rest their back and the bottom portion 24 allows a person to sit on the seat 20 .
- the bottom portion 24 can fold upward toward the back portion 22 as shown in FIG. 3 to allow for easy ingress and egress through a row of the plurality of seats 20 .
- the plurality of seats 20 can include an armrest 26 for allowing a fan to rest his/her arms.
- the plurality of seats 20 can be secured to the stadium via legs 28 .
- the legs 28 can have a plurality of holes for securing the seat 20 to the stadium floor. Any means for securing the plurality of seats 20 can be used within the scope of the present disclosure.
- a power and wireless communication device 30 can be secured to a bottom member 32 of the seat 20 .
- a device 30 can be provided for each seat 20 in the venue/stadium.
- a metal conduit 34 can be located behind the plurality of seats 20 for attaching to a power switch which can provide power to the communication device 30 .
- the power supplied by the conduit 34 can supply power to the communication device 30 when the venue is closed and can refrain from supplying power when the stadium is in operation allowing a battery pack of the communication device 30 to serve a fan or customer for a number of hours during or even after an event at the venue.
- the power supplied can be automatically turned on or off depending on whether the venue is open or closed.
- the communication device 30 does not have to be installed in the seat 20 and can be installed in another location suitable for providing cellular or wireless functionality to a fans mobile device as will be discussed in greater detail below.
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the wireless/cellular communication and/or tethered device 30 of the present disclosure.
- the communication device 30 can include a faceplate 36 for providing access to a rechargeable battery with USB-3, USB-C, Thunderbolt or similar connectivity means.
- the communication device 30 can also include a cap 38 having a spring snap function for closing over the faceplate 36 .
- the cap 38 can be positionable in an open or closed position.
- the communication device 30 also includes a housing 40 and a back portion 42 for attaching the communication device 30 to the bottom member 32 .
- the housing 40 can include electrical components such as a memory, processor, microcontroller, cache memory, and similar components for allowing the communication device 30 for accomplishing the objectives of the present disclosure as explained in detail herein.
- the communication device 30 can also include a seat sensor housing within the housing 40 .
- the seat sensor can sense the weight of a person so the communication device can determine whether a person is sitting in the seat 20 or if someone is standing.
- the communication device 30 can upload data to a fan's mobile device, provide power to the mobile device, charge the mobile device, and capture mobile device information.
- the communication device 30 can match an electronic ticket on the fans mobile device with the seat number, making paper tickets obsolete. If a fan is in the wrong seat, the communication device 30 can send a notification on the fans mobile device to alert them to this fact.
- the communication device 30 can also alert security if there is an person who did not purchase a ticket.
- the communication device 30 can also transmit data to a central server.
- the central server can collect information for all the devices 30 in the stadium and can leverage such data for big data analytics.
- the communication device 30 also functions as a wireless/WIFI or cellular data provider for allowing fans to connect to the internet with their mobile devices.
- the communication device 30 can also be waterproof sealed and the electronic components in the housing 40 can be potted to prevent water damage from rain, snow, sleet, etc.
- the device 30 includes circuitry for providing power to a user's cellular telephone (for powering and/or charging the cell phone), as well as wired and/or wireless connectivity for the telephone.
- the device 30 could provide Internet connectivity for the telephone via the USB port (and a cable interconnecting the device 30 to the user's telephone) as well as any suitable wireless connection, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
- the device 30 could include one or more of the power and wireless communications components and circuitry disclosed in published U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2016/0313744, 2015/0244121, and 2014/0067137, the entire disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
- FIG. 5 is a top-down view of a venue with the wireless/cellular communication devices installed in the plurality of seats 20 .
- the ability of the communication device 30 to allow fans to connect to the Internet creates a connected network within the stadium or venue. This allows the venue to communicate and interact with the fans by displaying messages on a JUMBOTRON® and having the fans submit a text message to participate in a contest.
- the venue can also push marketing or promotional material to the fans.
- FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a communication link between the wireless/cellular communication device 30 and a plurality of mobile devices held by people in the venue.
- the plurality of mobile devices can include a smartphone 44 , a tablet 46 , a wearable device 48 , or an information display 50 .
- FIG. 7 is a diagram of a communication link to provide enhanced wireless/cellular coverage to people in the venue.
- a broadband internet connection 52 can be broadcast throughout the venue in a wireless or wired fashion, or Ethernet over powerline.
- a microcell 54 can be connected by Ethernet over powerline to the broadband internet connection 52 to provide cellular coverage where needed. It can connect to the cellular carrier networking using existing broadband internet service. Fans would receive improved cellular performance for both voice calls and cellular data applications.
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Abstract
Description
- This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/354,359 filed on Jun. 24, 2016 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/354,353 filed on Jun. 24, 2016, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
- The present disclosure relates to enhancing communications and power systems in a venue. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to enhanced wireless communications and power systems for a venue.
- Venues which host athletic events typically do not have adequate communications systems. The lack of proper infrastructure in such venues causes problems where lines of communication are critical.
- For example, in an athletic event, it is desirable for coaches to have open lines of communication with players throughout an athletic event. In some sports, it is very difficult for coaches to quickly communicate with players. For example, in an American football game, coaches must remain on the sideline of a football field while communicating a play to the quarterback. In football games where many fans are in attendance, the stadium can be extremely loud which makes it difficult for the coach to verbally communicate a play to a quarterback. Moreover, a football coach must remain on the sideline which can be too far to verbally communicate a play to a quarterback. Still further, there is typically only forty seconds between plays, which makes it undesirable for a quarterback to travel to the sideline to verbally receive the next play. Communicating plays to a quarterback with hand signals can also be undesirable as the other team can intercept such signals and anticipate the next play.
- In another example, communication and power systems for the fans themselves are inadequate at sporting venues. For example, when fans attend a sporting event at a stadium, their cell phones have poor cellular reception, restricting use of their mobile devices to access the internet. This is caused by the major infrastructure challenges in a stadium. For example, stadiums are constructed of mostly concrete and steel, and the people sitting in the stadium are made up mostly of fluids which all inhibit proper cellular transmission. Still further, fans want to use the network at the same time, such as during kickoff, halftime, or after a significant scoring play. These issues restrict fans from interacting with social media applications, checking fantasy scores, watching videos, browsing the web, etc. Stadium management and owners want fans to engage in such activities as it enhances and promotes the sporting event. In particular, the cellular service at sporting stadiums precludes the ability to upload a four to five megabyte selfie image. Moreover, limited cellular reception prevents stadium management from taking advantage of commercial opportunities by sending promotional material to fans. Still further, attendees at sporting events often need to recharge their cellular devices, and there are often insufficient power systems at venues for this purpose.
- Therefore, there exists a need for enhanced wireless communications and power systems for use at a venue (e.g., in a stadium) which address the foregoing limitations.
- Systems for providing enhanced wireless communications and power at venues are provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a first communication device that receives audio from a user (such as a coach on a sideline), generates a wireless signal, and transmits the wireless signal to a second communication device via an antenna system (e.g., an antenna system mounted on an overhead camera) that relays the signal. The second communication device (which could be worn by a player during a sporting event) receives the wireless signal and plays the audio. In another embodiment, the wireless signal is broadcast to a plurality of communications devices worn by players. Also provided is a power and communication system for use at a seat at the venue, which provides power for a user's mobile device as well as wired and wireless network (e.g., Internet) connectivity at the seat.
- The foregoing features of the disclosure will be apparent from the following Detailed Description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment of the enhanced wireless communications system of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the enhanced wireless communications system the present disclosure; -
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a power and communications system for a venue seat; -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the power and communications system of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 5 is a top-down view of a venue illustrating installation of the power and communications system ofFIGS. 3-4 ; -
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a communication link between the power and communications system ofFIGS. 3-5 and a plurality of mobile devices held by people in the venue; and -
FIG. 7 is a diagram of a communication link to provide enhanced wireless/cellular coverage. - The present disclosure relates to enhanced wireless communications and power systems for use in a venue, as discussed in detail below in connection with
FIGS. 1-7 . - The present disclosure is generally applicable to any venue or event. The present disclosure by way of example discusses American football, but the present disclosure is not limited to this application and can include any sporting event (soccer, basketball, hockey, wrestling, lacrosse, track and field, racing, archery, darts, video gaming, curling, etc.), concerts, theatre, Broadway plays, musicals, operas, lecture halls, conference rooms, hotels, etc.
-
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of acommunication system 2 of the present disclosure, which allows for enhanced wireless communications between coaches and players of a sporting event (e.g., American football). Thesystem 2 can include a first communication device 6 (worn, for example, by acoach 4 on a sideline of a sporting event) for receiving spoken/verbal commands (audio) from coaches or other players at a sporting event, generating a wireless signal including the audio, and transmitting the wireless signal. Thesystem 2 can also include an overhead cable-controlled camera 8 having anantenna extender 10 for relaying wireless signals. The camera 8 can be a computer-controlled, cable-suspended camera system which can operate by having four motorized winches positioned at the corners of a venue. Each of the winches can control a cable connected to the camera 8. A computer system can wind and unwind the cables to allow the camera 8 to reach any position in a three-dimensional space within the venue or field of play. Thesystem 2 can further include ahelmet 12 which can be worn by any player on the field. Thehelmet 12 can include afrequency extender 14. Finally, thesystem 2 includes asecond communication device 18 worn by a player, for receiving the wireless signal from theheadset transmitter 6 and playing the audio (spoken commands, instructions, etc.) from thecoach 4 to theplayer 16. Thedevice 18 can be a headset, earpiece or a similar device for receiving a wireless/radio audio signal. In an American football game, the receivingplayer 16 can be a quarterback responsible for communicating a play for the offensive team. Accordingly, thedevice 18 can be installed in a helmet that theplayer 16 is wearing. For other applications, thedevice 18 can be installed in any suitable equipment that theplayer 16 may be wearing. It is noted that thesecond communication device 18 could also receive audio (spoken voice) from theplayer 16, and wirelessly transmit same to the coach 4 (via the antenna 10) so that theplayer 16 can communicate with thecoach 4, thereby providing bidirectional communications between the player and the coach. - The
system 2 can allow thecoach 4 to reliably and clearly communicate with theplayer 16. When thecoach 4 speaks into thefirst communications device 6, a wireless communication signal can be generated and sent to theplayer 16 via thedevice 18. The wireless communication signal can be extended by theantenna extender 10 placed on the camera 8. It is noted that theantenna extender 10 is optional, and communications could take place directly between thefirst communications device 6 and thesecond communications device 16. As the camera 8 traverses the playing field to capture sporting event moments, theantenna extender 10 can be in a suitable position to extend the wireless communication signal from thecoach 4 to theplayer 16. Furthermore, the wireless communication signal can be further extended by the extended 14 installed in thehelmet 12. Thehelmet 12 can be worn by any player on the field for extended the wireless transmission signal to the receivingplayer 16. For other applications, thehelmet 12 can be any other suitable piece of equipment for housing or having theextender 14. Thesystem 2 can optionally dispense with thehelmet 12 andextender 14 and rely solely on the camera 8 andantenna extender 10 for communication between thecoach 4 and theplayer 16. Moreover, thesystem 2 can optionally dispense with the camera 8 and antenna extended 10 and rely solely on thehelmet 12 andextender 14 for communication between thecoach 4 and theplayer 16. Still further thesystem 2 can rely on a plurality ofhelmets 12 for communication between thecoach 4 and theplayer 16. For example, a wide receiver could have thehelmet 12 and theextender 14, which would be extended to a tight end having thehelmet 12 and theextender 14, which can then be extended to an offensive lineman having thehelmet 12 and theextender 14. Any combination of players with thehelmet 12 and theextender 14 can be used in thesystem 2. -
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a communication system between coaches and players of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, thecoach 4 can speak commands in thefirst communications device 6 which can be broadcast as a wireless communication signal to be received by a plurality ofhelmets 12 and thus a plurality of players. It should be noted that this embodiment applies to other sports or activates, such as soccer, basketball, hockey, wrestling, lacrosse, track and field, racing, archery, darts, video gaming, curling, etc. The wireless communication signal can be extended by the camera 8 and theantenna extender 10 to the plurality ofhelmets 12 and players. Alternatively, the wireless communication signal can be extended by the camera 8 and theantenna extender 10 to at least one of the plurality ofhelmets 12 and then the at least one of the plurality ofhelmets 12 can extend the signal to another one of the plurality ofhelmets 12. This extension can occur multiple times to reach any number ofhelmets 12. -
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a power and wireless communications device installed at a seat in a venue. The venue can have a plurality ofseats 20 for allowing fans to sit and watch a game or performance. The plurality ofseats 20 can include aback portion 22 and abottom portion 24. Theback portion 22 allows a person or fan to rest their back and thebottom portion 24 allows a person to sit on theseat 20. Thebottom portion 24 can fold upward toward theback portion 22 as shown inFIG. 3 to allow for easy ingress and egress through a row of the plurality ofseats 20. The plurality ofseats 20 can include anarmrest 26 for allowing a fan to rest his/her arms. The plurality ofseats 20 can be secured to the stadium vialegs 28. Thelegs 28 can have a plurality of holes for securing theseat 20 to the stadium floor. Any means for securing the plurality ofseats 20 can be used within the scope of the present disclosure. - A power and
wireless communication device 30 can be secured to abottom member 32 of theseat 20. Adevice 30 can be provided for eachseat 20 in the venue/stadium. Ametal conduit 34 can be located behind the plurality ofseats 20 for attaching to a power switch which can provide power to thecommunication device 30. The power supplied by theconduit 34 can supply power to thecommunication device 30 when the venue is closed and can refrain from supplying power when the stadium is in operation allowing a battery pack of thecommunication device 30 to serve a fan or customer for a number of hours during or even after an event at the venue. The power supplied can be automatically turned on or off depending on whether the venue is open or closed. It should be noted that thecommunication device 30 does not have to be installed in theseat 20 and can be installed in another location suitable for providing cellular or wireless functionality to a fans mobile device as will be discussed in greater detail below. -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the wireless/cellular communication and/or tethereddevice 30 of the present disclosure. Thecommunication device 30 can include afaceplate 36 for providing access to a rechargeable battery with USB-3, USB-C, Thunderbolt or similar connectivity means. Thecommunication device 30 can also include acap 38 having a spring snap function for closing over thefaceplate 36. Thecap 38 can be positionable in an open or closed position. Thecommunication device 30 also includes ahousing 40 and aback portion 42 for attaching thecommunication device 30 to thebottom member 32. Thehousing 40 can include electrical components such as a memory, processor, microcontroller, cache memory, and similar components for allowing thecommunication device 30 for accomplishing the objectives of the present disclosure as explained in detail herein. Thecommunication device 30 can also include a seat sensor housing within thehousing 40. The seat sensor can sense the weight of a person so the communication device can determine whether a person is sitting in theseat 20 or if someone is standing. Thecommunication device 30 can upload data to a fan's mobile device, provide power to the mobile device, charge the mobile device, and capture mobile device information. Thecommunication device 30 can match an electronic ticket on the fans mobile device with the seat number, making paper tickets obsolete. If a fan is in the wrong seat, thecommunication device 30 can send a notification on the fans mobile device to alert them to this fact. Thecommunication device 30 can also alert security if there is an person who did not purchase a ticket. Thecommunication device 30 can also transmit data to a central server. The central server can collect information for all thedevices 30 in the stadium and can leverage such data for big data analytics. As will be explained in greater detail below, thecommunication device 30 also functions as a wireless/WIFI or cellular data provider for allowing fans to connect to the internet with their mobile devices. Thecommunication device 30 can also be waterproof sealed and the electronic components in thehousing 40 can be potted to prevent water damage from rain, snow, sleet, etc. - Importantly, as noted above, the
device 30 includes circuitry for providing power to a user's cellular telephone (for powering and/or charging the cell phone), as well as wired and/or wireless connectivity for the telephone. For example, thedevice 30 could provide Internet connectivity for the telephone via the USB port (and a cable interconnecting thedevice 30 to the user's telephone) as well as any suitable wireless connection, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. In this regard, thedevice 30 could include one or more of the power and wireless communications components and circuitry disclosed in published U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2016/0313744, 2015/0244121, and 2014/0067137, the entire disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. -
FIG. 5 is a top-down view of a venue with the wireless/cellular communication devices installed in the plurality ofseats 20. As can be seen inFIG. 5 , the ability of thecommunication device 30 to allow fans to connect to the Internet creates a connected network within the stadium or venue. This allows the venue to communicate and interact with the fans by displaying messages on a JUMBOTRON® and having the fans submit a text message to participate in a contest. The venue can also push marketing or promotional material to the fans. -
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a communication link between the wireless/cellular communication device 30 and a plurality of mobile devices held by people in the venue. The plurality of mobile devices can include asmartphone 44, atablet 46, awearable device 48, or aninformation display 50. -
FIG. 7 is a diagram of a communication link to provide enhanced wireless/cellular coverage to people in the venue. Abroadband internet connection 52 can be broadcast throughout the venue in a wireless or wired fashion, or Ethernet over powerline. Amicrocell 54 can be connected by Ethernet over powerline to thebroadband internet connection 52 to provide cellular coverage where needed. It can connect to the cellular carrier networking using existing broadband internet service. Fans would receive improved cellular performance for both voice calls and cellular data applications. - Having thus described the system and method in detail, it is to be understood that the foregoing description is not intended to limit the spirit or scope thereof. It will be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make any variations and modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. All such variations and modifications, including those discussed above, are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
Claims (14)
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US15/633,022 US20170372564A1 (en) | 2016-06-24 | 2017-06-26 | Enhanced Wireless Communications and Power Systems for a Venue |
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US201662354353P | 2016-06-24 | 2016-06-24 | |
US201662354359P | 2016-06-24 | 2016-06-24 | |
US15/633,022 US20170372564A1 (en) | 2016-06-24 | 2017-06-26 | Enhanced Wireless Communications and Power Systems for a Venue |
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Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11578496B2 (en) * | 2019-05-20 | 2023-02-14 | Msg Entertainment Group, Llc | System for distributing wireless networking components in a venue |
US11893307B2 (en) | 2021-02-26 | 2024-02-06 | John Andrew HANKINS | Covert sports communication system |
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US20150297949A1 (en) * | 2007-06-12 | 2015-10-22 | Intheplay, Inc. | Automatic sports broadcasting system |
US7796162B2 (en) * | 2000-10-26 | 2010-09-14 | Front Row Technologies, Llc | Providing multiple synchronized camera views for broadcast from a live venue activity to remote viewers |
AU2003903305A0 (en) * | 2003-06-24 | 2003-07-10 | Mark Ellis | A personal communication device |
EP2005998A4 (en) * | 2006-04-04 | 2010-09-08 | Vladimir Anatolevich Matveev | Radiocommunication system for a team sport game |
US8538383B2 (en) * | 2009-02-26 | 2013-09-17 | Blackberry Limited | Public address system using wireless mobile communication devices |
US8793321B2 (en) * | 2010-03-30 | 2014-07-29 | Charles E. Williams | Method and communication device for providing a list of plays for sporting event participants |
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2017
- 2017-06-26 US US15/633,022 patent/US20170372564A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2017-06-26 WO PCT/US2017/039247 patent/WO2017223556A1/en active Application Filing
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11578496B2 (en) * | 2019-05-20 | 2023-02-14 | Msg Entertainment Group, Llc | System for distributing wireless networking components in a venue |
US11893307B2 (en) | 2021-02-26 | 2024-02-06 | John Andrew HANKINS | Covert sports communication system |
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